Election Eve


Brian, always the political activist could not vote when he turned 18. It was not until March of 1971 that 18 18 year old's could vote. Legal age for voting - as everything was 21 until that time. Brian was born in 1950, and 1971 was not even a midterm election so in 1972 he got to cast his first vote. It was the election Nixon would win, if you want to call it that.

What inspired the change of the voting age to 21 was that young men were tired of being marched off to wars by politicians they could not even vote for, and that was hard to argue.

Brian did not do the whole lawn signs door knocks fund raising bonanza this year that has filled his every election year since his youth. Instead we hung out and have watched this election, these campaigns in progress. He has been actually sort of relieved NOT to do the drill of these past many decades, but his passion is still evident. He talks to the TV like it's a football game, bites nails on polls, observes strategy. Yup, you can see the love for the process.

Tonight Brian said "I'm glad I did stuff and didn't just talk about it. Make it happen, don't just bitch". He is right. Apathy is easy, being disillusioned is easy. It makes it the world's fault and not our responsibility. Is that the legacy any of us want to leave?


I think, no I know Brian is great with what he has done, who he has been, the decisions he made. Loving animals and investing time in them, his passion for politics, his love of all things outdoors and particularly Kayaks, those long trips through the BWCA starting when he was just a teenager. When you have that, knowing that your life has worked for you and you have love then I think getting dealt a tough hand is a lot easier to take.

I have learned a lot from Brian and I keep learning. I have been humbled in this process for sure. I saw that he is stronger than I am , that he understands some things about life that had not occurred to me before now. I learned surrender, yes me! When Brian got diagnosed I said "Let me know how you want to approach this, I'll do whatever you want me to do". I would too. I don't believe I have ever said that to another human being, not like that. Quit my job and move to wherever with him? Travel? Big bucket list? Well, what he wanted to do was simply keep living for as long as living was good, and we make it good now.



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